Designed by artist Anthony Ausgang, the painting shows a two-headed surfing cat being engulfed by a wave, which is also shaped like a cat.

Ausgang told the design blog BoingBoing that he was asked to create the cover art after meeting the band in Malibu.

“The most important thing was that MGMT wanted the 'look' of my style of painting and gave me only a few points that I had to hit,” he said.

“Naturally the process took some time but they were always cool with the criticisms.

“A lot of people who commission a painting only know what they don't want; fortunately MGMT knew what they wanted and let me do it my way.”

'Congratulations', the follow-up to MGMT's 2008 debut 'Oracular Spectacular', is due out on April 13.

(by Jason Gregory)